Video: GM knew of both ignition defect and airbag failures

posted at 1:01 pm on April 12, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

What did GM know about its ignition-switch defect, and when did it know it? GM’s new CEO Mary Barra told Congress that she didn’t know about the issue until after taking the top job in January 2014, but e-mails released by Congress show that Barra was alerted to the issue in late 2011, while she was executive VP of Global Product Development. CBS reported it last night on their broadcast news program:

Barra had earlier testified that GM didn’t do a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether to issue a recall, but the e-mails strongly suggest otherwise:

An October 2012 message from lead switch engineer Ray Degiorgio reads: “If we replaced switches on ALL the model years…the piece price would be about $10.00 per switch…based on…1.5 million units total.”

GM estimates the company could have fixed the problem for $15 million a year and a half ago. They waited until this February to warn drivers and issue a recall. It’s now cost GM at least $1.3 billion.

“This inexpensive car is probably going to be the most expensive car GM ever made,” said Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Penn.), who heads the House investigation.

Inform News says that another e-mail may be a “smoking gun” regarding GM’s refusal to change the part number on the defective switch:

All of this still leaves the question about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s lack of action over the switch and airbag issues. The NHTSA had received a number of complaints about the defect, and yet did nothing — while Treasury had a large ownership stake in GM. After the Obama administration finally divested itself of GM ownership, suddenly the NHTSA got interested in pursuing this defect from GM. We’ve seen Congress haul GM execs to Capitol Hill for high-profile testimony; when will it be NHTSA’s turn?

Addendum: I suppose it’s not surprising to see this clip was sponsored by Ford …

Blowback

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And here’s the problem, Mr. President. You want credit for GM’s survival (which your administration closely monitored and made tech/financial decisions regarding), then you have to take the blame for this as well.

“They’re not getting my input, but they are very, very good about keeping me up to date about what’s happening. If it’s small, they tell me after, but we’re very much aware of what GM is doing, because as a shareholder, we need to be. I like to understand [Whitacre's] thinking, so I can convey it to the people who sort of are more directly, ultimately the decision-makers here” — Geithner and chief White House economic advisor Larry Summers.”

Yeah, well, meanwhile the NSA knew about the Heartbleed bug, and saw it as an “opportunity” rather than a “threat” – what a chance to collect massive data on US citizens that they can share with the FBI, EPA, IRS, DEA and even local law enforcement – and now DHS informs us that terrorists or foreign operatives may have exploited the same bug to sabotage industrial control systems.

But somehow, Ed, you remain ambivalent about Clapper and the NSA, but can sure pile the hate on GM.

The feds had a choice here: mow down a bunch of protesting American citizens or pack up and go back to Washington. Clearly, they were strongly considering the former, but then chose the latter. This time. How come this “conservative” site doesn’t think this is worthy news?

Addendum: I suppose it’s not surprising to see this clip was sponsored by Ford …

Well GM’s HQ was built by the Ford’s. Conceived by Henry Ford II and financed primarily by the Ford Motor Company, the Renaissance Center became the world’s largest private development with an anticipated 1971 cost of $500 million.

Obama plans to announce tomorrow morning that new evidence shows Tea Partiers placed already-dead corpses in the wrecked GM automobiles after the accidents in order to make the Democrats look bad. Or something like that.

I suppose the wildness-level of the story will depend on whether he goes off-teleprompter or not. ;-)

And pay no attention to those GM internal memos. They are the result of Tea Party Terrorists hacking the GM email servers and planting bogus emails in their backup tapes from 2011 using alien technology stolen from Area 51.

WHERE IS A BUNDY POST??? EPIC NEWS FAIL…DO WE HAVE TO GO TO DRUDGE FOR OUR NEWS??? WE DONT FRICKING CARE ABOUT GM!!!! I thought SURELY, after seeing the silence of this site ALL DAY YESTERDAY–as events escalated…that this site would SURELY open with this story. Imiss the old hotair…

Plenty of posts about Mozilla, but I can’t find ANY about the Bundy-BLM standoff on Hot Air. Is that possible? Did I miss one or more articles over the last few days? I mean, it’s not like it means anything or not…

Salem decided that somehow covering Bundy/BLM was going to be bad for the RINO’s ?? Not sure I see the logic, but it’s a more likely explanation than that it just fell through the cracks, or was purely a “local matter”.

Well, not a total fail for Hot Air today: they got to run the Bradley (AKA Brianna, AKA Chelsea) Manning story so at least we know he’s going to be honorary something of something in San Francisco, and we’ve avoided the possibility of a day without a ghey-whatever story on HA.

Such an important issue and nada about it here. It is a core American issue yet nothing on it on hotair ? unbelievable..
As has been reported….elswhere, BUNDY won this battle!!
Where else are the feds going to stick their evil mandates….Eminent domain be damned…We The People want our lands back.

And here’s the problem, Mr. President. You want credit for GM’s survival (which your administration closely monitored and made tech/financial decisions regarding), then you have to take the blame for this as well.

The two cannot be separated.

rogerb on April 12, 2014 at 1:09 PM

But he wouldn’t be the president we all know and love if he didn’t try to.

The feds had a choice here: mow down a bunch of protesting American citizens or pack up and go back to Washington. Clearly, they were strongly considering the former, but then chose the latter. This time. How come this “conservative” site doesn’t think this is worthy news?

Rational Thought on April 12, 2014 at 1:44 PM

The feds had a choice here: mow down a bunch of protesting American citizens while people were watching closely, or pack up and go back to Washington.

FIFY

The Gummint thugs will have to pick their spot more carefully next time, because for sure their over-reaching hasn’t ended.

The feds had a choice here: mow down a bunch of protesting American citizens or pack up and go back to Washington. Clearly, they were strongly considering the former, but then chose the latter. This time. How come this “conservative” site doesn’t think this is worthy news?

Rational Thought on April 12, 2014 at 1:44 PM

WH memo to all executive departements:

“From this point forward, the First Amendment areas will be no larger than 35 square feet”

GM’s new CEO Mary Barra told Congress that she didn’t know about the issue until after taking the top job in January 2014, but e-mails released by Congress show that Barra was alerted to the issue in late 2011, while she was executive VP of Global Product Development.

Another Obama crony lying to Congress. When will Boehner take action against the liars and put a stop to the lies?

New GM CEO Barra pretty clearly and definitely stated she had NO knowledge of the defect before taking her current position. That seems to be an outright lie, and one which could not be a mistake or oversight.

She knew what she would be questioned about at the hearing. It’s a simple enough matter to search one’s archived emails, and only a prudent thing to do before giving testimony under oath.

But under Obama, no one is punished or held accountable for incompetence, corruption, or lying on his behalf.

→↔→

The feds had a choice here: mow down a bunch of protesting American citizens or pack up and go back to Washington. Clearly, they were strongly considering the former, but then chose the latter. This time. How come this “conservative” site doesn’t think this is worthy news?

Rational Thought on April 12, 2014 at 1:44 PM

The “choice” was taken from them. These decisions are all made in DC, not by field officers.

Yesterday stories broke about this “protected” tortoise and how BLM grants waivers routinely for developments in the area owned by Harry Reid cronies, and how there is a new development coming near the Bundy grazing area, also owned by a Reid crony, and now today the BLM suddenly decides to just pack up and leave?

Coincidence?

As to why Hot Air won’t cover the story, I suspect it comes from their Corporate Overlords at Salem. But only they know for sure.

Bundy supporters going after cattle from the BLM, blocking I-15, feds all over….breaking on FOX–but don’t report ANY of this, you wuassies. ED AND ALLAH, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISSAPPOINTED IN YOU IN ALL MY YEARS HERE

Anyone notice that this president always mentions how bad the GOP is and how great he is during hi deadly (seems like it) fundraising??. He has not mentioned this problem at all. It would seem he is political on every decision he makes. He makes me sick and I was considering buying one of those new Buicks but no way now.

“GM estimates the company could have fixed the problem for $15 million a year and a half ago. They waited until this February to warn drivers and issue a recall. It’s now cost GM at least $1.3 billion.”

The $15m figure is just for the parts, 1.5m at $10 each. It still would have cost a lot more than $15 – labor, sending out notices, etc.